The blues is an American art form and the most important musical form in jazz. Although there are other formal paradigms of the blues, such as 8-bar or 16-bar, this course focuses on different incarnations of the 12-bar blues. There are considerable differences between Early Jazz blues, Swing blues, Bebop blues, Modal blues, and Post Bop blues. Each type has its unique harmonic syntax, melodic vocabulary and, associated with them, improvisational techniques. While other aspects of jazz performance practice have been constantly changing from one stylistic convention to another, the blues has never lost its identity and expressive power, and continues to exert a powerful influence on the harmonic and melodic syntax of jazz.
This seven-week course explores important aspects of the blues, blues improvisation, basic keyboard textures, jazz harmonic and melodic syntax. Topics include: (1) Blues Progressions; (2) Blues and Other Scales; (3) Improvisational Tools, and others. This course will also cover valuable theoretical concepts enabling the student to master the art of jazz improvisation. Each topic will be introduced from a practical perspective with the clearly stated goal: to improve one’s improvisational skills. Jazz improvisation is rooted in spontaneity, creativity, self-expression and, at the same time, self-control and order. A unique pedagogical approach based on a one-to-one musical interaction conducted with different instrumentalists will help to reinforce many of the concepts introduced in this course and realize its stated objectives.

Taught By

Dariusz Terefenko

Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media

Transcript

The final progression discussed in this lecture comes from yet another Charlie Parker's classic blues, Blues for Alice. In comparison to the other blues progression discussed thus far, the Blues for Alice progression departs from the common harmonic paradigm of the blues in some considerable ways. Let me first play the progression and then we can discuss the basic structure of that progression. So again, chord metronome on 2 and 4. One, two, a one, two, three, four. [MUSIC] Okay. So in this progression shown on the screen, the structural chords of the blues, in measure 1 and 5, still occur on the tonic [SOUND] one and the subdominant scale degrees, [SOUND] four. But instead of dominant seventh qualities, they feature major seventh type chords. And that is a significant departure from the blues progression that we discussed this far. Remember, in the blues for Billie's Bounce [SOUND] the B flat 7. Now is the time, [SOUND] dominant 7. In Blues for Alice progression, the opening chord [SOUND] is a major seventh chord. So that's a huge departure kind of pointing out, pointing forward to the amazing structural and harmonic departures from the classic blues progressions. So now in another departure is much faster harmonic rhythm. And a highly complex way of connecting the structural harmonies of the blues. The structural harmonies are still retained. [SOUND] One chord, in measure 5 you have 4 chord, measure 9 you have 2, 5, 1 that we have counted. But what's in between those chords, that's what's really interesting. And it's a more modern approach to harmonic realization and to harmony, which basically defines modern jazz harmonic syntax. So let's examine measures 1 through 4. The way that the F major chord is prolonged, and the way that prolongation serves to get us to the next structural harmony on the subdominant. So listen, [MUSIC] All right, so we have bands of 2-5-1 progressions. [SOUND] Incomplete 2-5-1s. 2 5, 2 5, and finally 2 5 resolving to B flat 7. So it's a very ingenious way of connecting structural harmonies using cycle of fifths progression. So you can see that the motion, if we established voiced guide tones, [SOUND] you can see that the motion between chords is activated through parallel voice leading. [MUSIC] So that's basically what happens in measure 1 through 4. Now the next significant departure happens in measures 5 through 8. [SOUND] Upon reaching a subdominant, the next harmony, [SOUND] B flat, b flat 7. It's another incomplete 2-5-1 because normally what we should be able to get at the end of that progression. [SOUND] This is our 2-5, we go into A flat 7. But this is incomplete 2-5-1. Instead we are going to, [MUSIC] In jazz we call that relationship E flat to F7 or E flat in relation to F as in flat seven scale degree. We call that back door dominant because we are approaching the tonic chord through the kind of back door. Instead its customary five, [SOUND] we approaching seven, right. So that's your incomplete 2-5-1 progression. And the other departure which is highly idiomatic of the Bebop period, is the chromatic 2-5-1 neighboring the structural 2-5-1 progression in measure 9 and 10. So, [SOUND] in measure 7 we are in F major, and then A flat, D flat, going to G minor. It's A flat to D flat. It's a chromatic upper neighbor of G minor, right? [SOUND] So, a very nice way of elaborating, or accessing the structural harmonies. And these type of progressions, cycle of fifths, back door dominant, upper neighbor chromatic 2-5-1 progression are highly idiomatic for and main characteristics of Bebop harmonic vocabulary. And they also play a significant role in improvisation. Thank you.

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